


In the Wings 3

by CaliopeBell



Category: Emma Frost (Comics), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Adventures: Avengers, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 18:46:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11363406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaliopeBell/pseuds/CaliopeBell
Summary: Tony Stark has had a very rough time getting over the Chitauri invasion. Emma is called in to help.





	In the Wings 3

Emma Frost was nervous for the first time in a long while. The invitation had come out of the blue, after being of different political and moral minds for years. Tony Stark had asked her out. Or in, it seemed. She took a final look at the requested attire draping her body, and nodded to herself. Mr. Hogan was waiting. She slipped a white trench coat over her outfit, and greeted Happy with a smile.   
   
Happy Hogan was quiet in the limo, but still provided a few hints. Emma raised an eyebrow at the musings going on in his mind.   
   
He was worried about his boss. At first, the whole Iron Man thing had been fun, and Happy had thought it a good publicity stunt, plus more time off, since the Boss liked flying in the suit so much, but then people started trying to actually kill him. Obadiah Stane, then that crazy Russian, and most recently an entire army from outer space plus a Norse god. The boss had handled it, sure. But Pepper had almost been killed- twice! The feds were in their business these days, and Stark was still acting like nothing had changed. Pepper had changed. Pepper was back in California, running things while Tony had gone to ground in Manhattan, overseeing the repairs on the Tower.   
   
Curious. Emma looked up at the Stark Tower as the limo made its way closer. Her penthouse overlooked Central Park, so the traffic was annoyingly slow in the evening. There it was - only the A remained from the giant “STARK” that had once graced the beautiful building. Most of the buildings in this part of the NYC still boasted scaffolding and plywood from the Chitauri attack. Her own corporate headquarters had had two floors to repair, thanks to a certain angry green giant. Emma recalled the day with a shudder.   
   
She had been in Boston, overseeing her school for gifted youth, when the noise and terror from her employees’ minds had reached her, causing her to rush to the airport. Her assistant, Eustace Dulane, had forced her to stop reacting and sit calmly enough to assess the situation. From the airport lounge, Emma had found that she could not sense the Chitauri. Their alien minds were more hive-like. Nor did they seem to have a method to their attack, other than to damage property and kill people. Then the Hulk, with his raging mental state had shown up, and Emma decided her efforts would be best applied in keeping her students from rushing off in an effort to help, just as she had done.   
   
She’d wondered about Tony’s part. After the Mutant registration nonsense, they had been, at best, cold to each other at parties, absent completely everywhere else. And now, he had sent a mysterious invitation, hand-written and stuffed into a Fed Ex envelope, asking her to a pajama party. Strange, to say the least.  
   
Emma smiled as she left the car, nodding to Happy. “Thank you for the ride.”   
   
“Did you read my mind? I heard you could do stuff like that. I hope I wasn’t too rude. The boss told me to think about porn, but I put swimsuits on everyone.” He was almost blushing.   
   
Emma patted his arm, “Mr. Hogan, I assure you, your bikini women were safe.” She kept her smile a mystery. Yes, she had peeked into his mind, but had avoided his conscious areas - and the sports illustrated models - entirely.   
   
Happy nodded, relieved to not have revealed any secrets, and ushered Emma into the elevator, pressing the security code for the penthouse before he stepped out again. “Have a nice night, Ms. Frost.”   
   
“You too, Mr. Hogan.”   
   
Once inside the penthouse, she looked around curiously. It was very masculine, really. All stone and texture. No one home?   
   
“Tony, summoning me, then refusing to greet me at the door is the height of rudeness.”   
   
“I’m outside! Just getting things ready. Pick up the tray of drinks on your way.”   
   
Emma slipped the coat off, frowning at the idea of bringing him drinks. “I quit the Hellfire Club a while ago, darling, and I was never a waitress.”   
   
“Emma, will you please thaw out? I just forgot the drinks.”   
   
She weighed her options, but ended up taking the tray. A giant sofa had been dragged out to the landing, along with a small table and some mechanical equipment. Emma set the drinks on the table, next to a giant tub of popcorn. All annoyance left her as she saw her date for the evening.   
   
Tony grinned at her, patting the sofa next to him. He was wearing adult-size iron man pajamas. “Heyy Emma! Glad you could make it. I thought we might watch a movie. Hope you like extra butter.”   
   
Emma tried not to laugh, “Are you unwell?”   
   
“I am very well. I just thought it would be fun to stay in.”   
   
“Out.”   
   
“In, but out.”   
   
“And the dress code?”   
   
“I just wanted to see if you’d do it.” He stood, munching on popcorn. “Nice Jammies. I was hoping for less, but the white satin is a nice touch. If you’re cold, I’ve got blankets.”   
   
“No, not cold. More surprised than anything.” Emma kept her promises, and long ago, she’d promised to stay out of his head. It was nice to be surprised. ‘And the movie?” She walked over to the sofa. It was easily large enough for three or four people.   
   
“Your pick.”   
   
“In a minute.” Emma sat on the soft brown suede, crossing her legs, “I seem to recall that our friendship had devolved into blatant animosity, dear. Maybe you can explain what’s changed before the movie is chosen.”   
   
“Oh. That. Yeah, I know…” Tony paced a little, not looking at her, “I said nasty things to you, you were cold and rude to me. I know. But stuff has happened since then, Frosty. I mean, cataclysmic, murderous, world about to end stuff. It’s changed a lot - for instance, who I consider friends, and how I work - Did you know I’m part of a team now?”   
   
“I would have taken odds on that one.”   
   
“Exactly! I work with five other people! As equals! Well, ok not equal. I am the brains, after all, but Dr. Banner is a close second.”   
   
She pursed her lips, “I don’t think you want a date as much as you want a therapist, and I-”   
   
“No! No, wait! Emma, friends talk, right? You are a friend to me. I really need to talk to a friend right now.”   
   
“Therapist.” She stood, giving him a sad smile.   
   
He grabbed her arms, “Will you listen? Just listen.”   
   
Emma rolled her eyes, “I will listen to your explanation about why you think this has more to do with friendship than with therapy.”   
   
Tony guided her back to the sofa and sat next to her. “This is hard for me to say.”   
   
“I can tell.”   
   
“Stop. Just... Pepper’s gone. She can’t handle the whole Avengers thing, so she left. Even when she was here, I paid her salary. I’ve been realizing that many of my best friends get something for putting up with me. Even Rhodey.”   
   
“Rhodey is a true friend, dear. He’s a good man, and it is very endearing how he feels about you.” That made him pause.   
   
Tony blinked, “You read his-”   
   
“I did. He was digging around in my past, so I dug around in his pia mater.” She smiled thinly. “Otherwise, I would not have.”   
“Ok, I can see that. He got overprotective of me for a bit, there.”   
   
“He has honorable intentions, Tony. You can trust James Rhodes. I suggest you call him tonight. You and he can drink beer and watch movies.”   
   
“I could, but he’s not as hot as you.” Emma gave him a wilting look, but Tony shook it off, “Ok, here is my point. Yes, I have Rhodey. BUT! He’s still not on the same level, Emma. Not like you and me. He has obligations to a government that wants to take my tech half the time without paying. You and I are different. We are both billionaires. Neither one of us answers to anyone else for anything. It’s a very lonely place to be, and I need a friend. I bet you do, too.”   
   
Emma was about to argue, but she sat back on the sofa, sinking into it, “Yes. I don’t have many friends, either. True friends, I mean. Not colleagues, employees, students. Real friends.”  
   
“See?” He moved closer, “This is what I am talking about. I can trust you. I’m not out to use you, or keep my job. I’m willing to guess you aren’t trying to use me, either.”   
   
“Define ‘Use’.”   
   
“Use, as in steal corporate or personal information,” Tony licked his lips, “If I thought I had a chance to use that body, I would.”   
   
“Ah. Continue.” Her eyes were smiling.   
   
“Neither of us need money. What we do need is a person to be honest with.”   
   
“Companionship.”   
   
“Yes!”   
   
“So, instead of being people who meet to shag once in awhile, we’d be friends?”   
   
“Friends with benefits.”   
   
Emma chewed on her lip, staring off into the Manhattan skyline. “It would be nice to have a confidant.”   
   
“I’m taking that as a yes. You said yes. You can’t take it back.” Tony grinned charmingly.  
   
Turning towards him, Emma kissed his cheek. “You might not like what I have to say. I have been very busy.”   
   
He handed her a beer, “Right back atcha, honey.”   
   
She grabbed one of the blankets, getting comfortable. “So, what’s the matter?”   
   
It was Tony’s turn to look out at the view, “I went through a wormhole to another dimension. Right up there.” He pointed.   
   
Emma lay her head against the sofa seat, looking up, and Tony followed suit. “Right above this building?”   
   
“Yeah. Loki was being cute.”   
   
“What was it like?”   
   
“Quiet. Dark. Filled with alien beings bent on killing us all. Kind of reminded me of the UV poster phase I went through in high school. Except there were space worms instead of half-dressed women ...I thought I was dead.”   
   
The side of Tony’s head rested against Emma’s, and they stared up at the cloudless field of stars together, but Emma knew they weren’t seeing the same thing.  
   
“Do you still see it?”   
   
“It’s more like, I keep waiting for it to show up. For ursa major right there to break open into a darker sky. I don’t see it right now, but it could open again. Any moment.”   
   
“I know what that’s like.”  
   
“You’ve been through a wormhole with a nuclear bomb?” Tony’s voice had a challenge to it.   
   
“I’ve had a time traveler named Trevor Fitzroy pop into my school, kill the senior class, and vanish with the threat to come again. I suppose a Time Portal and a Wormhole have similar physics involved.” Emma bit back tears. Even after so many years, the moments of her students’ death cut deeply.   
   
“Ok, not the same, but similar. I’ll give that to you.” He clinked his beer bottle with hers, taking a drink.   
   
“It’s unpleasant, thinking someone murderous could just jump out at any second and take everything away.” Closing her eyes didn't help.  
   
“That was an understatement, Emma.”   
   
“It’s horrifying, nightmare-inducing, life changing.”   
   
“Better.” His hand found hers, and they both were silent a long moment, just looking up.   
   
“If Fontleroy does it again, call me.”   
   
“If that hole opens again, you do the same. I’ll brave the Hulk to get here.”   
   
Emma turned to see Tony thinking something through. His eyes found hers.  
   
“You could be an Avenger, Emma.”   
   
She laughed, looking at the stars again. “I don’t want to be an Avenger. You forget that every person named as an Avenger has lost their anonymity. Spies have been outed. Dr. Banner can’t hide anywhere.”   
   
“I’m taking care of him. And Agents R Us is handling the spies. If you’re worried about Bruce, I’ll design some cool armor for you. Oh! You could fly!”  
   
“No, darling. I’d rather not.”    
   
“Right. I can take no for an answer.”   
   
Emma laughed.  
   
He turned to face her, going up on an elbow, “I can. I hear it all the time these days.”   
   
She smiled up at him, “This is nice.”   
   
“So you are admitting I was right?”   
   
“That seems a dangerous thing to admit.”   
   
“Fine, but I’m still right.” Tony sat up a little more, “Are you staying for the movie?”   
   
“Yes.” She sat up as well, messing with the blanket, “I like it up here. It’s so quiet. I thought the only way to mute all of New York’s voices was to leave it.”   
   
“Up is in, Honey.” Tony took a drink, watching the wind play with her hair. “What’s it going to be?”   
   
Emma thought a moment, “I assume you will say no to any French film I mention.”   
   
“Oui.”   
   
“Casablanca.”   
   
“But that’s so old. Too low-tech.”   
   
“Are you paying me back for saying no earlier?”   
   
“Payback is best served cold.” He fed her some extra buttery kernels.  
   
“A Beautiful Mind.”   
   
“Hm… brain problems and genius math portrayed almost correctly. Ok, let’s put that on the short list. Next?”   
   
Emma glanced over at him, trying to think more like a billionaire playboy-philanthropist. “The Goonies.”   
   
“Now you’re talking! Goonies it is!” Tony grabbed the remote and started poking it. Two small electronic pillars rose out of the patio, and began to emit a thick mist. “No clouds required.” Tony grinned at her, poking the remote some more.   
   
Emma smirked, taking a drink. 

“What? I was bored, and trying to figure out an excuse for asking you here in your pajamas. Going to market with it next month.”   
   
“You sent the invitation yesterday.”   
   
“So?”   
   
“So, it took you a day to design, create, and test this?”   
   
“More like four hours.”   
   
Emma laughed, “Of course.”   
   
The movie started, and Tony put the bowl of popcorn between them. “Never pegged you as a Goonies fan.” He smiled between bites.   
   
“I’ve never seen it. Magneto said I should see it, but I never have.”   
   
“Magneto? There’s a man named Magneto that said you should see Goonies?” Tony nearly choked.   
   
“It was more that he was telling me my students weren’t living in the Goonies. He seems to think I have an irrational need to protect children.” Emma made a face, “He was taunting me, at the time. We were having an... argument.”   
   
“Sounds like one of the bad guys. Do I need to rough him up?”   
   
“He controls metal, darling. You’re Iron Man.”  
   
“It’s not literal, you know. More like Gold-titanium Alloy Man.” he fidgeted, pretending to stretch as he put his arm around her. “Looked stupid on a t shirt, though.”   
   
Emma took a few pieces of popcorn, watching his nearly professional move while the movie played on the artificial cloud. “No sex tonight.”   
   
Tony sat straight up, pausing the film. “Why the hell not?”   
   
“It wouldn’t be the same. It wouldn’t be sex. It would be better, deeper. I don’t think you can handle intimacy so soon after Pepper, darling.”   
   
“How will we know, if I don’t try?” Winking, he pointed both index fingers at her, “You’re a friend, not a therapist, remember?”   
   
When Emma laughed, he started crawling over the popcorn, and she grinned, snuggling further into the cushions, “Very true.”   
   
Tony twirled his finger into a blonde lock of hair, his other hand bracing himself as his knees moved to either side of her legs. “So it’s back on the table?”   
   
“Oh no. Not the table. This sofa is adequate for starters.” Emma reached up, one manicured hand pulling Tony’s face down to her own for a promising kiss. “After the movie.I want to see what a goonie is”

Tony nodded, letting out a long breath as he rubbed her nose with his own. “I can wait… maybe…” He wiggled around her until his head was nestled in her lap, “You’re going to love this. Really creepy bad guys, nerdy kids, and a surprise ending.”   
   
“That’s my life, darling.” Her hands played with his hair.   
   
\--------X---------  
   
The next morning, Happy entered the penthouse, carrying several bags of food. He started to go into the bedroom, but stopped himself. No point in seeing things he would never bleach away. Instead, he set the bags on the countertop. “Jarvis, any hint on where and how many?”   
   
Jarvis was quick to reply, “Two: one in the bed, and one out on the veranda, watching the sunrise.”   
   
Happy noted the smell of brewed coffee, and headed outside.   
   
Emma Frost was sitting at the very edge of the platform, her legs dangling as she sipped her coffee. “Good morning, Mr. Hogan.”   
   
“Oh! Um.. sorry. The boss is usually up early, so I thought…”   
   
“Not a problem. Tony is sleeping in. I take it Eustace delivered breakfast?”   
   
“Yeah.. That’s a weird guy. No offense, but he’s not from around here, is he.”   
   
Emma turned around, and stood in one fluid motion. She was wearing a t-shirt and matching short shorts, both of which had “Property of Tony Stark” written on them in black sharpie.   
   
“None taken. He’s from New Orleans.” and a zombie, she added to herself. Poor thing couldn’t get work to save his, well, you know. “I know he seems odd, but trust me, he’s the best assistant I have ever had.”   
   
Happy was trying not to stare at her shirt, “I’ll take your word for it. So Tony’s really asleep?”   
   
“Yes. Could you get his day rescheduled? He seems to need the rest.” Emma refilled the coffee in her mug.  
   
“Got it. I’d better go.” Happy waved as he headed for the elevator.   
   
Emma nodded,“Take a beignet for yourself. They are really good.” She wandered into the bedroom, staring a long moment at Tony’s foot sticking out from under a pillow. “Happy’s here, darling.”   
   
Something undecipherable rumbled from under the covers.   
   
“Take your time.”   
 


End file.
